Where the touch nose sort of training goes horribly wrong is when we forget that No Means No. Autistic children don’t have as many resources for saying no, so they say it in ways that get labeled as “non-compliance.” They turn their head away. They get up from the table and walk away (or try to!) They cry. They scream. They hit. They bite. And then they get labeled: Violent and non-compliant.
